Milwaukee Bucks: Matthew Dellavedova remains a steady playmaker

Although he’s underperformed since signing for the Milwaukee Bucks two summers ago, Matthew Dellavedova‘s steady playmaking remains a positive.

It’s far from a controversial statement at this point to say the addition of Matthew Dellavedova hasn’t worked out for the Milwaukee Bucks.

As the Bucks looked for a point guard capable of playing off-the-ball and complementing Giannis Antetokounmpo, the Australian seemed like an obvious fit based on his success alongside LeBron James with the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Unfortunately for the Bucks, that success hasn’t traveled with him to his current Central Division home, and even more troublesome is the fact they signed Dellavedova to a sizeable and lengthy contract in the cash-rich summer of 2016.

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So, while the Bucks would love to be able to find a willing trade partner to move on from Dellavedova’s salary without incurring any additional cost, that outcome is incredibly unlikely. As a result, Milwaukee is left to try and make the most out of Dellavedova.

On that front, Dellavedova need not amount to nothing more than a sunk cost. If he can get healthy — and that was a major problem for the 27-year-old last season — Dellavedova is intelligent enough that there are still a number of ways in which he could help the Bucks.

Chief among them is his brand of steady playmaking. Not much of Dellavedova’s production has held up in a reliable fashion since he arrived in Milwaukee, but his ability to offer stable creation from the point guard spot acts as a definite exception to that.

For all of his flaws, Dellavedova’s ability to organize his teammates and direct the offense has frequently been apparent on a young Bucks team that was prone to extended bouts of directionless play under the guidance of former coach Jason Kidd.

Dellavedova’s limitations athletically mean he’s never going to catch a defender off guard and burst by them with impressive speed, yet they have also fueled the shape of his offensive game over the years.

Through no real choice of his own, Dellavedova has been forced into playing more of a cerebral brand of point guard basketball, and he has proven it’s something he certainly has a feel for.

With good vision and the ability to pick out even difficult passes, Dellavedova’s best moments always center around him making teammates better, which is something that has often come into through his understanding and chemistry with Giannis Antetokounmpo.

In other words, if Dellavedova is ever the center of attention, something has gone horribly wrong.

With a talented roster surrounding him in Milwaukee, there should be ample opportunity for Dellavedova to play in that kind of deferential role alongside his more naturally talented teammates, though.

The Australian guard excels in taking care of the ball, and creating opportunities for teammates efficiently. Across the course of his five-year NBA career, Dellavedova has never registered an assist to turnover ratio lower than 2.68. Last year, that number came in at an even more impressive 2.96.

Last season’s assist-to-turnover ratio placed Dellavedova 19th in the NBA among players who played at least 30 games, while according to Cleaning the Glass, his assist-to-usage rate of 1.68 put Dellavedova in the 98th percentile among point guards.

All of this is to say there’s a path to Dellavedova still finding a way to positively contribute to the Bucks, but the onus will remain on him if he’d like the chance to do so.

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Dellavedova needs to be healthy, and he has to knock down his shots at a rate that ensures Mike Budenholzer will trust in having him on the floor. If he can hold up that end of the bargain, his playmaking still has the potential to provide a boon of sorts for the Bucks.

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